California car culture could help boost cargo traffic on The City’s waterfront.

If Port of San Francisco plans pan out, Pier 80 in the central waterfront could become Northern California’s newest hub for the import and export of automobiles — including cars built at factories in Mexico as well as locally produced Tesla electric cars shipped to emerging markets in Asia.

While the Port of San Francisco cargo ship business has dropped significantly inthe past decade, Pier 80 could get a boost if the auto industry shifts some of itstraffic from Southern California ports, which are at capacity and receive vehiclesfrom Mexico.